Writing a novel takes a long time. As my teacher Mark Sarvas told me once, you have to celebrate milestones along the way, because if you wait to celebrate just […]
Goodbye UCLA
This evening is my last UCLA Extension class for the foreseeable future. Over the past six months, I’ve taken two extension courses, Novel IV and Novel V, with Mark Sarvas, […]
Reconsidering the Day Job
Way back in September, I was feeling pretty low. I had just taken a day job I thought was perfect for me, and I couldn’t figure out why I was […]
The Act of Artistic Stealing
As I writer, I have often heard these two bits of advice: don’t be afraid to steal, and, find your own voice. I will admit, though, that I have never […]
After The Half Marathon
As you know, I recently ran my first half marathon. Turns out, I’m actually pretty good at distance running. I enjoy it. In fact, I don’t really start to enjoy […]
Reading Like a Writer
For a long time I thought reading like a writer meant simply reading a lot. That’s part of it. However, while reading is critical for writers, passively absorbing stories isn’t […]
Reading for a Literary Journal Will Make You a Better Writer
The best way to improve your own writing is to read the work of others. That may seem like a no-brainer. We all read. But if you only read published work you are missing out on something magical. Reading for a journal is a special kind of education.